


In My Dark Times

by brittany4824



Category: Veronica Mars (TV), Veronica Mars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Third Person POV, veronica mars alternate universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-25
Updated: 2019-01-21
Packaged: 2019-07-17 13:17:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 4
Words: 20,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16096451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brittany4824/pseuds/brittany4824
Summary: LOGAN:When his mother goes missing, he finds himself seeking the help of the pretty, little blonde he had sworn off years ago. She was the last person he ever wanted to see again, yet here she is in his town once again. But as they begin searching for his mother, their lives get intertwined once again... and he's finding it harder to remember why he wanted her gone in the first place.VERONICA:She was forced to leave her father and live a new life across the country. But now he needs her help... the one who has tried to ruin her life from day one. She doesn't want to help, but with her father's job on the line, she has no choice but to accept the offer from the boy who had broken her heart years before. Each day they spend next to each other, searching for his mother, she tries to guard her heart, but there's something different about him... something as alluring as she fears dangerous.





	1. Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys!! I'm excited to share this new fic with you! I've finally been able to figure this whole mom thing out, and wanted to get back to my lovely Marshmallows as quickly as I could! 
> 
> Also: REBOOT SAY WHAAAAAAA. I'm so excited y'all!
> 
> So this fic is a little darker. It'll discuss Veronica's rape, Logan's abuse, substance abuse, etc... so I'll try to put trigger warnings at the beginning of each chapter. This will be angsty, but hopefully you will enjoy. No Piz, guys. He's non-existent in this universe. We don't need that kind of negativity in our lives... ;)
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!
> 
> XOXO,  
> Britt

“Veronica, I need your help.”

Never in her life did Veronica think she would hear those five words— not coming from the speaker at the very least.

“Logan… I don’t know what game you’re playing at, but why would you think I would ever come running back home to help _you_?”

Bitchy much? Sure. But she hadn’t spent years living with Logan Echolls without creating a cold and impenetrable exterior.

“Because I have something you need,” was his nonchalant response. His voice dripped with confidence and oozed with privilege.

It also had a way of making her heart beat a little bit faster, but she promptly ignored the traitorous organ and made a note to scold it later.

Veronica studied the nails of her left hand as she pushed her flip phone (she didn’t have the latest technology, so sue her) closer to her ear and debated her reply. Her initial reaction was to hang up on the playboy, but part of her— the really annoying part that usually took over— was curious. Why, after all these years, would Logan Echolls be calling her? She thought that after she had left the seedy beach town she used to call home, he would have forgotten all about the blonde girl who he hated.

It seemed she was wrong.

With a sigh, she finally spoke, “I highly doubt that, Echolls. But you’ve piqued my interest. What is it you have that I want?”

She tried to ignore the way his low chuckle did something to her lady parts. Damn him. But when he answered her, everything stopped. Certainly she had heard him wrong.

“Repeat that?” Veronica whispered.

“Your dad. He’s been fired. But I can make sure he finds a job that will more than compensate you both for your time. I’ve heard through the grapevine that you’ve become quite the Nancy Drew. I need your help, Veronica. Take my case and I’ll ensure your dad is taken care of for the rest of his life. Deny me? Well, let’s just say you’ll be needing to come home to collect your old man because he’ll never find a respectable job at his age… not in this town.”

Sucking in a breath, Veronica lifted her eyes from her suffering nail beds to the bare white wall of her tiny New York apartment.

“When do you need me?” she asked, quieter than usual.

He had won— again. She hated that he could change her destiny with the simple swish of a finger. Yet, here she was again at his mercy.

“Tomorrow. I’ll send a driver to come get you. I’ve already bought you a first class ticket home.”

She wanted to argue that this was her home— New York— not Neptune, California, but the line had already gone dead.

Home.

Well, shit. She’d better start packing.


	2. Pull Me Back In

Veronica was familiar with the feeling of loss. It was an old enemy who liked to creep up and attack when she was least expecting it. She always looked over her shoulder because that bastard would like nothing more than to ruin her life.

She lost her mother to alcohol.

She lost her virginity to a stranger who had left her confused and alone the next morning.

She lost a bet. One that changed the course of her life drastically.

So yeah, loss was an asshole who liked to fuck with her. But she was older now. Wiser. He wouldn’t be able to reach her if she could help it. Not anymore.

But the second she stepped into her family home, she couldn’t help but feel the sharp twist of loss in her gut. That bet, the one that forced her to leave everything behind had also taken her father from her. Keith Mars had been Veronica’s best friend growing up. When she agreed to leave Neptune, she agreed to leave him behind too. She had known that she wouldn’t be able to come home— a stipulation that was part of her bet— and she knew her dad didn’t make enough to ever come to see her in New York City. So they had spent the past years Skyping and calling each other every night. Every once in a while she had even received a letter from him in the mail. He was old fashioned like that.

She hadn’t been home since she was forced to leave three years ago, yet nothing inside the house had changed. It was as if it were under some sort of spell. The mangy, plaid couch was in the same position against the wall facing the television that they had gotten in the nineties. A lamp her mom had bought at an antique shop still stood proudly on her great grandmother’s end table. As Veronica ventured into the kitchen she could almost bet that the dishes were still sitting in the same cupboards they had been in when she left.

It was a comfort she hadn’t realized she needed until that moment.

Surrounded by phantoms of her past, she made her way to her favorite place in the house. It was a large bay window that looked out onto the property.

Not their property, of course.

His.

Logan’s. Well, his _father’s_.

She had been eleven when her family had moved into their small house that sat on the Echolls’ land. They had needed someone to be head of their security team, and her father was a prime candidate. He had been young then. Young and naïve. He brought his small family— his wife, Lianne, and daughter— to Neptune with high hopes and dreams of making a more than comfortable living. Veronica had been born in Northern California in a small cabin-laced town where her parents had met and fallen in love. He had been the sheriff of their tiny town, but one year, after an especially unforgiving summer fire, their town had been completely erased. They were homeless, jobless, and hopeless. But a voice that came in the form of a rich ex-actor had called them like a siren to SoCal.

Unfortunately, Keith couldn’t have imagined their savior was actually the devil in disguise, and the little piece of heaven that they had imagined Neptune to be was actually far from that. It had become the Mars family’s personal hell. And they were stuck. The job was full of golden handcuffs. Free housing on the Echolls' estate was a blessing he hadn't ever been able to save enough to move. And Keith was too entrenched by then anyway. They had no option but to stay and hope they were strong enough to face the adversity and drama that surrounded Neptune.

Spoiler alert. They hadn’t been. Strong enough, that is.

When Veronica had landed in California (after being pampered in first class— something she really couldn’t complain about) she had thought perhaps her dad would have been turned out of their family home. She hadn’t been able to ask why exactly he had been fired, but she knew if Aaron Echolls had no use for him as Head of Security, he wouldn’t let her dad (who had been faithful to Aaron from day one) stay on their property. Eventually he’d be thrown out like trash. Just like she had been by Aaron’s son.

She pushed thoughts of Logan from her mind. She didn’t have time to revisit old wounds. Not when she was going to have to work for him.

Staring through the window, Veronica admired the view. The grass was as green as ever (despite being in the middle of a national newsworthy drought), the pool— which was located between her house and the Echolls' mansion— glimmered in the summer’s sun. The mansion looked like an enchanted castle. The kind that you read about as a little girl. Vines clung to the building and rose bushes lined the bottom. She had always loved Lynn’s roses.

“Veronica.”

The sound of his low, angry voice had her spinning around and her heart racing.

He stood, leaning against the kitchen's door frame with an icy glare. His mouth was in a firm line as if he were disgusted at the sight of her. That pissed her off. He wasn’t allowed to be angry that she was back when he was the one who brought her here in the first place.

“Don’t get used to that view. My goal is to get you in and out of here as fast and painlessly as possible.”

His words were meant to hurt, but she was past the point of caring what he thought of her anymore. So she shrugged and smiled, “Sounds like a plan to me.”

That seemed to catch him off guard and she internally threw herself a victory party. One that lasted for about five seconds because he shocked her when a slow smile crept on his handsome face. One that heeded a silent warning. A warning that told her she was in his domain now. She couldn’t hide. He’d know where to find her. He’d always known where to find her, and at one point in her life, she didn’t mind how well he could read her. Now? Now it felt like a curse.

“Your dad is currently waiting for me in Aaron’s office. I was waiting until you showed before offering him a job,” Logan told her as he turned his back on her and began to walk away. If she was supposed to follow him, he didn’t make an effort in letting her know, so instead, she assumed he wanted her to go wherever it was he was going.

“Ronnie,” Logan spoke without turning to make sure she was behind him, “I’m glad you decided to take me up on my offer.” He finally snuck a peek her way, and she couldn’t help but catch the small smirk that played on the corner of his lips. She did, however, ignore the fact that he had called her “Ronnie.” She hated that nickname more than she hated him, and that was saying something.

“You didn’t really leave me an option,” she shot back.

“True.”

They walked in silence for a while —her to the left of him—as they made their way toward the Echolls’ mansion. She wondered if he was taking her to see her dad. She was dying to see him, but she refused to let Logan see any sort of emotion from her but cold indifference. She would not resort to anything that could be contrived as begging.

When they finally entered his home, Veronica caught herself looking around. Just like her dad’s house, Logan’s had barely changed. Maybe a different painting here and there, but overall things felt the same as when she had left them. It wasn’t often that the daughter of the head of security was allowed in the Echolls’ mansion, but when she was, she had always drunk everything in. Every chandelier, couch, painting. The splendor of their home was unlike anyone else’s, including the Kane's mansion.

Veronica pushed memories away and focused on the sound her boots made on the authentic hardwood floors. Finally, Logan stopped in front of a door. She waited for him to let them into the room, but instead, he turned to watch her.

She felt his gaze everywhere, burning her skin. First his eyes held her own, but slowly they moved their way to her lips, then her chest, and all the way down her body. She felt her cheeks warm from embarrassment until she watched him take a deep breath and return his whiskey-colored eyes to her blue ones. For a singular moment, he let his guard down long enough to let her see he was somewhat affected by her. She wondered how exactly she affected him but didn’t allow her mind to wander there.

He stepped closer to her, too close. She tried to take a step back, but he grabbed her wrist— keeping her where she was. He was so close that Veronica was pressed against him. He leaned down toward her and she felt his breath against her ear.

“You may think you’re some hotshot detective now, Mars. But remember, you’re still the help’s daughter here in Neptune. We remember who you are, who you _really_ are. So don’t get any ideas.”

The way Logan’s quiet words sliced through the quiet air, made her shudder. She hated that her body had reacted in such a visible way.

Pushing him away, she narrowed her eyes. “And I remember who _you_ are, Logan. Don’t forget that.”

Smiling, he let go of her wrist and stepped away from her in a dismissive way that made her want to punch him. He opened the door and stepped out of the way to let her through the door. The room she entered was not an office nor was it a bedroom. It looked like a small family room. Veronica wondered briefly if this was one of those sitting rooms she had read about in books.

Logan took a deep breath and plopped down on one of the leather couches. Stretching, he placed his arms behind his head and crossed his ankles in front of him. His plain henley shirt rode up, exposing a sliver of tanned skin.

Not that Veronica was looking or anything.

Veronica followed suit and sat in the chair across from him with a weird feeling that she was about to be interviewed.

Silence coated the large, extravagant room. Logan’s eyes watched her with an intensity that she had tried for three years to forget.

It was like she hadn’t even left.

“So how about them Dodgers?” Veronica joked, feeling awkward. She hated that he could make her feel this way.

“Let’s cut the shit, Veronica.” She bit her cheek and raised her eyebrows to indicate he could continue. “You know why you’re here. So let’s just get the details ironed out and you can go tell your dad he still has his job… for now.”

“As much as I am flattered you think I’m smart enough to know everything, I actually don’t. I have no fucking clue what you need from me, Logan.”

“Don’t you?”

“Don’t play coy. What is this about? You didn’t rip me from my cozy New York apartment just to beat around the bush.”

He waited a beat, watching her like he was trying to catch her in a lie. But she held her gaze and waited for his answer. He narrowed his eyes and asked, “You weren’t filled in by your dad?”

“Clearly.”

“My mom’s missing.”

His mom was missing? Lynn Echolls? _The_ Lynn Echolls— famous soap opera star? Veronica’s first thought after hearing the news was: how had this escaped media’s attention?  The second was— holy shit. Lynn was missing.

Logan’s mom had been the single Echolls who had treated Veronica and her family like they were worth a shit. She always smiled, always asked how you were, and always offered a drink or a treat. Sure, Veronica questioned how sane she could be, being married to Aaron and all, but Veronica had always liked Lynn.

“Do you know who has her?” Veronica whispered. He winced and looked to the ceiling.

“Now you’re playing coy, Veronica. I’m hiring you to find her because you happen to be one of the few people on this planet who knows about the… _dysfunctional_ way this family is run.”

Dysfunctional? She had always thought that The Echolls did a pretty good job at looking nothing less than perfect in front of everyone. She wasn’t sure she had ever even seen them frown at one another. Again, she felt like Logan assumed she was a mind reader, because what the hell was he implying?

“I… I really don’t know what you mean?”

“My dad. That’s why she’s gone.”

It was like Logan had pulled a rug from underneath her. Was he implying his dad had…

“No,” Logan answered, clearly reading what she was thinking. “He didn’t kill her or make her disappear. She did this to get away. And I need to find her.”

“Get away?” Veronica echoed.

“From my dad,” Logan confirmed.

“But why?”

He gave her a heavy stare. One that said, Don’t be dumb. You know why.

A small memory played through her mind. One that she had tried to forget, and yet every once in a while appeared in her dreams. One moment that had changed everything. Even though she had promised she hadn’t seen or heard anything, she had. She knew that and Logan knew that.

“Logan…” Veronica tried to say, but he held up his hand. He didn’t want her sympathy. He had never wanted her sympathy.

It really was like nothing had changed at all.

* * *

 

Seven Years Ago:

_Veronica slid into the Echolls’ home undetected. She was hoping to find some of those amazing chocolate chip cookies Lynn always kept around. She was starving, and her mom hadn’t gone grocery shopping yet._

_Stomach growling, she crept around the huge, silent house— praying nobody was home._

_Well, not nobody. Somebody. That somebody being Logan._

_He had just thrown his fourteenth birthday party, and she was still trying to forget the humiliating way his friends had looked at her when she had shown up. Logan had warned her to stay away from the pool that night, but like the stubborn person she was, she hadn’t listened._

 

_She could still hear the way the girls (probably Carrie Bishop) snickered as she prodded across the pool's cement toward Logan who was lounging on a chair. Her mom had forced her to get him a present. And like an idiot, she had allowed her mom to convince her to bring it that night._

_“What’s this for?” he had asked._

_“Your birthday?”_

_“How did you even afford it?”_

_More snickering had come from the half-naked girls in the pool, but Veronica ignored them and just smiled. But she hadn’t been prepared for what Logan had done. Instead of opening it, he had thrown it into the pool. The girls squealed as the water splashed and hit them._

_Open mouthed, Veronica had turned to him._

_“Told you not to come,” he had shrugged flippantly._

_“Fuck you, Logan.” she had breathed under her breath,_

_“Want to repeat that a little louder?”_

_No. She really didn’t. So instead she walked away. Ignoring the way people stared and whispered._

_She hated Neptune. But she hated Logan even more._

 

_Veronica rolled her eyes at the thought of the dumbass present she had tried to give him. She had hoped it would be a truce— a peace offering of sorts. But clearly, Logan hadn’t wanted to let go of whatever hate he held for her. She wasn’t even sure why he hated her so much._

_Screw him. He didn’t deserve the number of tears he had already caused. He would never make her cry again, so help her God._

_It was the sound of a whimper that brought Veronica back to reality. Then a loud crack sounded throughout the house._

_What the hell?_

_Curious, Veronica followed the sounds. As she neared the library, she heard Aaron’s loud voice scolding whoever he was with._

_“You’re a brat. You think you make me proud when you do shit like that? I don’t want to keep doing this, Logan. Stop making me do this.”_

_Veronica pressed her hands against her mouth to keep from making any sounds. Though she wasn’t entirely sure what was going on, she knew without a doubt she was not supposed to be hearing this._

_“Dad…” Logan’s voiced cracked. It was laced with emotion Veronica couldn’t quite place. It was the first time she had ever heard him sound anything less than a confident asshole._

_“Don’t. Don’t try to get out of this. You did this, Son. You did this to yourself.”_

_Another loud crack echoed, and Veronica’s curiosity got the best of her. She slowly peeked into the cracked door in time to see what the source of the noise was._

_A belt. A belt hitting Logan’s bare back. The whimper, the one that sounded like a dog that had just been kicked, was coming from Logan. Logan who had tears running down his cheeks, though he held a defiant look._

_She let out a small gasp and instantly realized her mistake._

_She wasn’t supposed to be here. She wasn’t supposed to see this._

_Logan, who was facing her, found her immediately. His eyes widening a little before sending a silent warning._

_Get out! Leave!_

_She didn’t have to wait for an actual demand, because she was already running toward the front door._

_She wasn’t sure why Logan was being punished. But she did know this._

_Whatever she had just seen wasn’t right._

_And when she got home, the way she puked into the toilet was a pretty good indicator that she wasn’t going to be forgetting what she saw for a while._

_Or ever._

* * *

 

“Isn’t she better off gone?” was Veronica's question.

 _Yes,_ Logan thought solemnly. Unfortunately, Lynn had apparently forgotten she was also a mother when she ran off. He needed her back, and once he had gotten what he wanted, he would have enough money to get him and his mom out of Aaron’s claws.

Instead of telling Veronica this, he simply shrugged, “I need her. In order for me to receive my inheritance on my twenty-first birthday, I need both parents alive and present. There’s a clause that states that if that’s not the case, I won’t receive anything until I am married for five years.”

He watched her face turn from confusion to what appeared to be horror.

Her voice was incredulous when she asked, “So you want to bring your mother back into an abusive situation so you can get money?”

Logan knew how it sounded, and if he gave a fuck about what Veronica Mars thought of him, he would maybe explain his full plan to her. But seeing how that wasn’t the case, he just shrugged again.

“I thought you were an asshole, but I didn’t realize you could ever stoop this low…” she continued. Logan sighed and rolled his eyes at her dramatics.

His mother would be perfectly safe. And if his mother had only discussed her plan with him before she ran off, he could have easily solved both their issues. Instead, she had jumped the gun, and left him with a headache, a mess, and a dick of a father.

“Are you going to help me or not?” he demanded.

“Yeah, yeah… I’ll help you,” she conceded. She narrowed her pretty blue eyes at him and asked, “And you swear my dad will keep his job?”

Logan crossed his heart sarcastically. “Swear.”

He watched her have an internal debate. He knew it was what she was doing. He had watched her do it from the time they were little. She liked to pretend that she was tough, but she secretly had a moral compass. A moral compass that was annoyingly present today. Veronica ran her tongue over her teeth and looked toward the ceiling.

“I swear to God, Logan. If something happens to your mom after I find her… I’ll kill you. I don’t want to be the reason she gets hurt.”

Honestly, what was with the dramatics today? It wasn’t like he would intentionally put his mother in danger. Sure, he was a dick, but he wasn’t evil. His mother was the single good person in his life. He wasn’t going to let her get hurt. All of this— his plan, Veronica being here— was for his mother. She didn’t need to hide. She didn’t need to run. If Logan got his money, he would be able to ensure Aaron could never touch her again, but she could still live a life she deserved.

“If I let my mother get hurt, I ’ll _let_ you kill me,” he responded quietly. It was a moment of honesty for him.

Veronica studied him and he could tell that she knew he was telling the truth. Of course, she did. The unfortunate part about both of them was that they knew each other too well. In fact, he was willing to bet Veronica Mars knew him better than his best friends did. He hated that fact. Hated she could look at him and know if he was telling the truth or not. Hated that she knew things about him and his family that nobody else knew. She was a pain in his ass, but she was the only person he trusted. And that was the fucked up part.

“Okay,” she finally agreed. “So lay it on me. What do you have?”

He wanted to sigh in relief but refused to let her in on exactly how much he was counting on her help. Instead he plastered a smile, one that he knew she hated because it indicated she had lost… again.

“We’ll work on the details later, babe. I’m guessing you want to see your dad?”

Her eyes lit up as if he had offered her the world. Hell, with the life she lived, maybe he was. He had known how much her father meant to her when he sent her away. He knew how much she must hate him for keeping her away from her dad.

But he didn’t care.

 _Couldn’t_ care.

“That would be nice,” was her simple reply. He wanted to laugh at how cool she was trying to keep it. In fact, it took all of his power not to smile at how excited he knew she really was.

But smiling, really smiling, wasn’t something he would ever give her. She didn’t deserve it.

“Aaron’s office is…”

“Two doors down. I know,” she cut in.

He wanted to ask how she knew that but remembered the day she had caught Aaron during one of his many “punishments.”

And just like that, any feeling of warmth he had for Veronica disappeared.

“You can go,” he dismissed her, making sure his words displayed his distaste for the small blonde woman who was currently standing from her seat in front of him. Her smile was too wide, too happy, and he hated her for it.

She didn’t have to be told twice. She was out the door within seconds, leaving Logan to his thoughts in the empty room.

As he sat silently, he could almost swear he heard her squeal as she entered the office where her dad sat. He hadn’t told Keith he was bringing his daughter home, because he figured the old man deserved a nice surprise after the shit Aaron had put him through. Logan didn’t want to admit that part of the reason he had chosen Veronica to find his mom was because he wanted to do something nice for Keith.

Keith was a good man. Logan respected the hell out of him, despite the fact that the older man hated him. He was always discreet, always loyal. Which was why it pissed Logan off when Aaron threatened to fire Keith after Lynn’s disappearance. It wasn’t negligence on Keith’s end that allowed for Lynn’s escape. Logan knew his mother must have planned her disappearance for years. She did it far too well for this to be a spur of the moment thing.

Logan wanted to pretend that it didn’t sting that his mother had run off without letting him know. She had to have known the mess she was going to leave behind, but clearly, she hadn’t cared. She was selfish. She had shown that throughout Logan’s life, but never had he imagined she would abandon him the way she did.

Then again, people weren’t to be trusted. Logan had learned this at a young age.

_“I missed you so much…”_

Keith’s jovial voice carried down the hallway.

Logan let out a frustrated breath. It annoyed him that Keith and Veronica were so close, especially considering he had never had a relationship like that with either of his parents.

 _“I missed you, too,”_ Veronica had responded. Her voice quiet and full of emotions.

And a part of Logan, a very small part he was willing to ignore, wished those words had been directed toward him instead.

* * *

 

Veronica plopped onto her dad’s couch with a content sigh. She had just finished stuffing her mouth full of his famous grilled steak. It had been ages since she had a home-cooked meal. It was one of the many things she had missed over the past three years.

“I hope you saved room for dessert, because tonight we dine like royalty, dammit!” Keith called from the kitchen. Veronica laughed and closed her eyes. She listened to her dad’s movements in the neighboring room. He slammed cabinets open and shut as he hummed one of his favorite classic rock songs.

Home. God, it felt good to be back.

But the feeling of contentment vanished as quickly as it had arrived when she thought about the real reason she was back.

Logan.

She had spent years reconciling the fact that she would never be able to feel the California sun on her skin or smell the savory scent of her dad’s cooking again. Logan had made it very clear she was to stay in New York if she knew what was good for her. But just like he controlled her departure, he controlled her arrival back into Neptune.

However, he hadn’t brought her back for good. He was using her skills to get something he wanted and then would send her on her way once again. From the time they were children, Veronica had watched the way Logan had used people to get what he wanted. He was the master manipulator and yet everyone worshipped the ground on which he walked.

Logan, though not _beloved_ by his peers, was _revered_. It was his best friend and Veronica’s ex-boyfriend that was the town sweetheart. Duncan was good to Logan’s bad.

Though the term ‘good’ was a term that was loosely used, Veronica had found.

Veronica had witnessed Duncan’s dark side firsthand. She often wondered if people knew the secrets he and his family kept. Duncan wasn’t the sweet guy everyone thought he was. Sure, he had always treated her better than Logan ever had, but he was just as messed up as any other trust fund baby of Neptune.

Duncan had been many of Veronica’s firsts, but on cold New York nights—the ones that were particularly lonely—Veronica didn’t remember the smiles and laughs she had shared with Duncan. She didn’t see him when she dreamed of stolen kisses and forbidden touches.

No, that position had been filled by the one person who she didn’t care to admit meant more to her than she let on.

“A penny for your thoughts.” Keith stood in front of her, worry etched on his face.

She felt a blush creep up. There was no way she was going to tell her dad what she was just thinking.

“I was just thinking about the case,” she told him instead. Veronica had filled Keith in on why she was really home, leaving out certain, private details. As much as she couldn’t stand Logan, she wouldn’t ever betray him in that way.

Keith had argued when he had heard she had taken on the case. He didn’t want her involved in the Echolls’ “marital spat.” Veronica wanted to point out that a wife running and hiding was a little more than a marital spat but knew it was useless to argue with her dad.

“Are you sure about this, Veronica?” he asked her before sitting beside her on the couch.

Snuggling next to her teddy bear of a dad, she nodded silently. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and they stayed that way for a long time. Making up for lost time, Veronica supposed. Keith didn’t try to argue again. Instead, he allowed the silence that Veronica needed.

 _Was_ she sure about taking on this case? No. But she wasn’t going to tell her dad that. He was being wrongfully blamed for Lynn’s disappearance— a little fact that her dad had shared. There was only one way to ensure her father would be taken care of while she was shipped back to New York.

She needed to find Lynn.

* * *

 

Logan paced his dad’s office, anxiously waiting for Veronica to join him. He wanted to find his mom as fast as possible. He turned twenty-one in three months and really didn’t like the feeling that a giant clock was following him around. The sooner he got this shit sorted out, the sooner he could go back to his normal life of partying with his friends each night and fucking the first pretty thing he laid eyes on.

Did that make him materialistic? He didn’t honestly give a shit.

Living life as a party was easier than focusing on the negative things in his life. Presently, he could feel the aching need for the numbness he found in alcohol and drugs. Especially now as he was waiting on the girl he despised to find his mom. He felt jittery and anxious. He felt weak.

He hated that feeling.

He’d refused to feel that way once he was old enough to tell his dad to fuck himself. When he was big enough to kick his old man’s ass, Aaron had stepped down from the abusive father role and went full steam toward the abusive husband. He may have stopped beating Logan physically, but Aaron had found other ways to screw his son. Aaron controlled Logan in the form of his money, future, and, to Logan’s dismay, his mom. Logan could easily leave the money and fame behind. His mom? Not so much. It was Aaron’s sure-fire way to ensure Logan was always kept under his firm hold.

Now that Logan’s inheritance was within arm's reach, he could finally get both his mom and him out from underneath Aaron’s control.

Not only that, but Logan knew his mom had kept a secret trust for him— money she had saved on the side as well as money his grandparents had left him after they passed. By his twenty-first birthday, he would have enough money to buy his dad out of his business as well.

Aaron was a has-been when it came to Hollywood. As soon as he had realized that, he had dived into a tech business with Jake Kane. They were equal partners, sharing the immense wealth they had received from the computer software Jake had developed.

Jake hated Aaron but had needed his funding when he first started Kane Software. Aaron was the silent partner. But Jake didn’t hate Logan. In fact, he had treated him like a son since he and DK were kids. So when Logan finally received his money from his parents, he would have more in his bank account than dear old dad. Logan would buy Aaron out of his partnership with Jake Kane.

So yes, he was doing this primarily to help his mom out, but screwing his dad over was the icing on the cake.

“You look like shit.”

Logan whipped his head toward the office door to find Veronica assessing him, arms crossed. He took her in— the way her hair was twisted into a loose bun on the top of her head, her pouty lips that he knew hadn’t been decently kissed in three years, and her fuller body. He wasn’t used to this Veronica. She wasn’t the annoying little girl she had once been, nor was she the defiant teenager he remembered. She was a woman now. The curve of her hips and the way she filled out her tight shirt indicated as much. But it was also the way she carried herself now. She had always been sure of herself, but now she seemed even more confident.

If it hadn’t been for the way her breathing became heavy each time he was near her, he would have thought his hold over her had over the years she spent in New York. Thank Jesus that wasn’t the case. He needed every little ounce of control over her that he could possibly have if he were to keep her here with him.

The truth was: Keith was never going to lose his job. Though Aaron had threatened it, he knew father took loyalty too seriously. Keith knew things about their family that Aaron couldn’t afford to get out. Aaron needed Keith just as much as Logan needed Veronica. In some weird, twisted fate, their families’ lives had become tangled and messy. But if Veronica ever called his bluff, he wouldn’t ever find his mother on his own.

So he needed the little power he had left over her. Even if that made him the asshole she always believed him to be. Might as well live up to the name.

“That’s funny, I was about to say the same thing,” was his quick response. He almost cringed from his own words as Veronica registered them. He knew the precise moment they hurt her. It was the way her eyes flashed hurt. But it only lasted for a moment— a split second— before she blinked and returned to her original disposition. Indifferent.

He wasn’t used to an indifferent Veronica Mars. When they were little he was used to the hurt Veronica. When he said mean things when they were teenagers he was used to the angry Veronica. But this adult Veronica? The one who appeared to give less of a shit than he did. She was new. And he wasn’t sure how to handle her.

“Now that we’re on the same page,” she told him icily, “let’s get to business.”

Logan motioned for her to join him at the desk he was now sitting behind. She slowly made her way across from him. She didn’t sit. Her arms crossed against her chest, and he wondered briefly if she knew how sexy she looked when she pushed up her pretty little…

“Logan,” Veronica snapped. He raised his eyes to her own, unapologetically. He didn’t care if she knew he was admiring her body. He _was_ a guy after all.  

Clearing his throat, he threw a manilla folder her way. As she picked it up he began, “Mom must have been planning her escape for a while because it appears she’s covered her bases. She didn’t pull any cash out of her bank accounts before she left, and none of her cards have been used since the day she left. She’s doing her best to keep her tracks covered. She’s a smart lady.”

Veronica opened the file and began to read. He knew what she’d find in there. A lot of nothing. Her bank records indicated nothing. Her cellphone had yet to be recovered, yet it showed no trace of leaving their house. The security footage from the day she left, had a three-hour hole. He assumed she must have paid someone on the security team to do that, but nobody had come forward. She was like a ghost, disappearing without a single trace. She hadn’t taken any cars and hadn’t been seen by anyone. Though the media had yet to find out she was missing, Keith had pulled strings and a few people in different police departments keeping their eyes and ears out for everything.

“So basically…” Veronica said, more to herself than him, “I have nothing to work with.”

She closed the file and threw it back on the desk. She looked pissed, but he knew she was also fascinated.

“That’s why I hired the best,” he joked. He didn’t know if she was the best. But he had to hope she was.

“I only got my PI license last year, Logan. I can’t promise you I’m the best…”

“But you’ll be discreet.”

She contemplated what he had said and nodded. “Of course.”

And he knew he could trust her. Veronica was loyal to a fault. It was evident in the way she had come back to help her father. Logan only hoped her loyalty could also be reserved for him as well.

She looked from the folder back to Logan and sighed, “I’d be willing to bet she has someone helping her. There’s no way she could have done this without money and the right people… If we find her accomplices, we find her.”

“I figured as much.”

“Did she ever bring anyone around? A friend? Family?”

That was a question Logan had wracked his brain to find the answer for. But the truth was, Aaron had barely allowed her out of the house, let alone bring anyone into it. She wasn’t even allowed to invite her family over for holidays. And if Logan knew his father, which he did, he knew Aaron would have tracked her phone— calls, messages, GPS, all of it.

“She must have had a burner… Like a pre-paid phone,” Logan said instead of answering Veronica’s question.

“Yes…” Veronica replied. He knew she didn’t mean to, but her voice was filled with annoyance. He couldn’t help but feel a little dumb for his answer. He had thought it was a rather large epiphany.

“I was just making a statement, Mars. You can retract your claws,” he muttered to cover his embarrassment.

Veronica began to tap her foot as she stood, clearly in thought.

“So I’m going to guess… no friends or family have contacted her that you know of?”

“Not that I’m aware of… Then again, I wasn’t exactly planning on my mom going MIA on me. I wasn’t exactly tracking her every move.”

With a sigh, Veronica sat in the chair across from him. She placed her elbows on the arms of the chair and leaned forward.

“So you have nothing to add to whatever is in the file. Nothing was out of the ordinary leading to her disappearance?”

“Nope,” Logan replied, letting the “P” pop.

“I have some connections around Neptune, I’ll check them out and get back to you.”

He was surprised at that bit of information. She had _connections_? Who was she, The Godfather? He wanted to ask her what kind of people these “connections” were, but he figured it was probably best if he didn’t know. Though Veronica and he were unspoken enemies, he didn’t particularly like the idea of the little blonde running around the kind of people he could only imagine were considered “connections.”

Logan had witnessed the sharp tongue Veronica had, but he also knew that she was tiny. He couldn’t imagine she could protect herself if push came to shove. Then again, maybe she could. He had moments throughout their lives that he was a little scared of her himself— not that he would ever admit that out loud.

“These connections going to be discreet?” he asked instead of expressing his concern for her safety.

Veronica scratched the back of her neck and shrugged, “If you pay them the right amount, yeah. But I also have this thing called _friends_. They like to help out without any strings.”

Logan wracked his brain trying to think of a time Veronica had ever had friends. She was a loner at school, and she lived across the lawn from him. He would have noticed if she had ever had friends coming and going.

She must have sensed his confusion because she rolled her eyes, “Okay, so they’re more like acquaintances who happen to owe me favors. But still…”

“So when you say no strings?” Logan laughed. He couldn’t help it. She was ridiculous.

“We both know there is no such thing ‘no strings', Echolls.”

Wasn’t that the truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so happy that you have all seemed to be excited for this AU! I'm giddy with excitement, myself. So I hope you liked a larger glimpse into this world, the mystery, and our favorite characters. 
> 
> This chapter was half-beta'd so I'm sorry if there are any errors. I could have waited for a full beta of the chapter but.... 
> 
> Chapter Two will be up ASAP. And hopefully, I'll be patient enough for a full beta... lol
> 
> Love you all!
> 
> XOXO,  
> Britt


	3. Survivable Amount of Pain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for this chapter:  
> alcohol/substance abuse  
> abuse  
> language

Seven Years Ago

 

_Veronica had done a good job of avoiding Logan ever since she had witnessed… well, whatever it was that she witnessed happening in Aaron’s office. She had debated whether or not to tell her dad about what she had seen. She couldn’t tell her mom. That woman was one bottle away from rehab._

_Veronica watched as Lianne had slowly imploded and couldn’t do anything to stop it. Keith turned a blind eye, one that was done out of love, Veronica supposed. He didn’t want to see the truth that was so blatantly in front of them. Veronica wasn’t even sure when her mom had even started drinking. It had crept into their lives like a thief, ready to steal her mother away from her at any second._

_But Lianne wasn’t Veronica’s only concern now. No, on top of an alcoholic mother, she now had to worry about the douchebag…_

_Growing up, Logan had always been the bully next door. The boy who would have pulled her pigtails if he was into cliches. Now? Now he was on an entirely new level. By the age of fourteen, Logan had already become a resident in the principal’s office. He didn’t just mess around with her… no, he caused havoc no matter where he was._

_But it was bullshit. A cover. A mask. Veronica knew it and he knew it. While her classmates watched and laughed as he started fights or made out with his girlfriend, Lilly Kane, Veronica saw a completely new side of him. Unbeknownst to him, whenever he sat by the pool with a thick book in his hand, Veronica watched from her bedroom window. The first time she had seen him down there reading she'd thought it was a lot like watching an animal out of its natural habitat. It was weird seeing Logan as anything close to normal. She wanted to join him. Ask him what he was reading. Share her own books with him. But this was Logan Echolls. And if she were to ever let on that she knew his little secret, he’d never return._

_So instead, each day precisely at four, Veronica crept to her window and peeked through the blinds to catch a glimpse of the boy next door. Sometimes he would read with a scowl on his face, sometimes his books made him laugh, but most of the time she couldn’t help but see the peace that radiated from him as he read. It wasn’t until then that she had realized Logan was rarely peaceful. He was always wound up like an old clock ready to bust at any minute._

_So she watched. He read. She still didn’t like him… heck, she still kind of hated the guy, but at least she knew some small part of him was actually human._

_But now she knew a different secret Logan kept, a darker secret._

_And that’s what had her awake at night when she heard something hit her window. Her first thought was that she had imagined it. She had been reading one of her dad’s mystery books and wasn’t ashamed to admit how much it had freaked her out. When the sound happened again, she was convinced the murderer from the story had come to life and was coming for her. By the third time, she was pushing her covers off of her and tip-toeing toward her window. That’s when she saw him._

_Not the murderer, of course._

_Logan Echolls._

_Logan in his PJs._

_Logan who looked like a mess._

_Throwing open her window, she whisper-shouted down, “What the heck are you doing, Echolls?!”_

_He followed suit with his own loud whisper, “Get your ass down here, Mars.”_

_She watched him for a moment. Then she checked the property around him. She wouldn’t put it past him to be plotting some way to humiliate her. When she was convinced nobody was with him, she shut the window and grabbed a jacket that hung by her door._

_She made it down the hall and stairs and out the door without being detected. It was one of her many skills she was proud of— not getting caught._

_“What are you doing?” Veronica asked again once they were face to face. Now that she was closer, she could smell alcohol. His pajamas were ruffled and he wasn’t wearing any shoes. Before she had the chance to point out that he was a mess, he broke his silence._

_“You can’t tell anyone about what you saw.”_

_Her heart stuttered at the reminder of their little secret. A secret she didn’t fully understand until this moment. But now she knew. Her fear confirmed through his words and the way he stared at her._

_He wasn’t just being punished like a normal kid that day._

_Aaron… he… Veronica was going to be sick. She had to tell someone. Surely, Logan understood that._

_Just as if he had read her mind he pointed a finger in her face and spat, “You have to fucking swear, Mars. Nobody can know.”_

_“I… I don’t know what you mean, Logan,” Veronica lied, scared of what he might do if she admitted the truth. She never thought he’d physically harm her, but he had other methods of destroying people._

_“We both know that’s a lie. Just keep your mouth shut.”_

_They stood in the night’s silence for a while. Only the sound of their breath and crickets could be heard._

_“I swear…” Veronica finally conceded. It went against everything she stood for. She didn’t want to stand idly by and watch him get hurt by his dad. Suddenly she had the need to know… “How often does your dad… come around?” She couldn’t ask him what she really wanted to know. They were both pretending she didn’t see what had happened in the office._

_“Not often,” Logan whispered, sounding hoarse and a little sad._

_Veronica reached out to touch his hand that draped lifelessly by his side, but he pulled away before she had the chance._

_“It’s not a big deal,” he told her. His voice was full of hate and anger. Whether it was aimed toward her, she didn’t know. But she wasn’t going to let him retreat like this._

_“Maybe… when your dad comes around, you could… I don’t know… come over or something.”_

_Her words shocked even her, but they shocked Logan far more. His eyes widened as if she had told him she was in love with him or something._

_Ew, she would never._

_While Veronica expected him to laugh in her face due to her rather uncharacteristic offer, he didn’t. Instead, he stood, eyes narrowed as if he were trying to figure out if she had an ulterior motive._

_Finally, he spoke. His voice was soft, and even kind, when he said, “I would really like that. I mean, I should probably get out of my dad’s way anyway. I tend to make… messes. He hates messes.”_

_There was truth to their lies. A hidden truth that fourteen-year-olds shouldn’t have had to know. Together they pretended she was just a girl asking a boy to come over to hang out, and for once they had something to bond them together._

_Veronica only hoped their lies wouldn’t catch up to them one day._

 

Present

 

They had. Their secrets had caught up with them. Veronica was keenly aware of this fact as she walked toward Eli Navarro or “Weevil” as his gang liked to call him. He was one of her many connections. In high school, she had a knack for helping people here and there when they asked. She was known for getting people out of a  tough spot. She wasn’t a pro or anything, but she could work her magic every once in a while.

Eli’s problem had come in the form of Lilly Kane. Logan’s girlfriend was somewhat of a two-timing bitch. She liked to use Logan as her trophy while secretly banging bikers. Well, one biker in particular… Weevil.

Eli had enlisted in Veronica’s help because he wanted to get a ring back from Lilly. One she refused to hand over once Eli realized she would never choose him over Logan. Apparently in haste, Eli had given Lilly his grandmother’s ring. Was it an engagement ring? Veronica didn’t ask. It wasn’t her business. But she was surprised to find how far Eli had fallen for the girl. Veronica had always watched her from a distance (across the lawn to be more exact) and she had always seemed a little vapid. But maybe there was more to Lilly than Veronica knew.

Hell, that had been the case with Logan. She figured maybe that was the case for most people.

Veronica had been able to get the ring back and hadn’t ever asked Eli for favors again. Though their unlikely transaction had caused an even more unlikely sort of friendship.

Now with Eli as head honcho of the motorcycle gang, he had more ears and eyes around Neptune than anyone. Veronica knew she could trust him to help her out. She promised Logan everyone would be discreet. So while she trusted Eli enough not to double-cross her, she didn’t want to risk Eli finding out he was actually helping his ex-lovers on-and-off-again boyfriend.

“Veronica Mars,” Eli smiled as Veronica approached her bald-headed friend. “Long time no see. Where you been?”

“New York,” Veronica responded, not offering much more than that. Sure she saw Eli as one of her very limited “friends” but she also didn’t like getting too personal with anyone.

Eli whistled as if she had just told him she had been living on the moon. New York wasn’t _that_ impressive.

“So a little birdy told me you need something?” Eli eyed Veronica with a smirk. She rolled her eyes.

“First of all, you can’t say ‘little birdy’ when I was the one to contact you… But yes. I need a favor.”

“Shoot.”

Smiling, Veronica told him what she needed. He nodded and grunted a few times in response. She hadn’t asked him for much. Just to let her know if anyone had tried to obtain a fake passport or ID from any of his buddies (and by buddies she meant criminals who he associated with). She didn’t give him all the details. So when he asked who it was for, she simply responded 'a case'.

She was a private investigator now. She thought it would seem inconspicuous if she went with that.

He told her he’d get in touch and they said their goodbyes. They didn’t chit-chat about how their lives had gone for the past three years. They didn’t hug. They didn’t exchange friendship bracelets. Life in Neptune didn’t allow for people like them such pleasantries.

It’s why she needed to solve this case and get the hell back to New York.

 

While Veronica was off doing her thing, Logan had school to attend to. He normally avoided college because he hated the idea of sitting in a classroom listening to some old dude tell him how they interpreted the world to be. But he needed to keep up appearances. Nobody had caught on to the fact that Lynn had seemingly vanished from her normal routine. Not that many people paid close attention to her anyway. But either way, Logan wanted to keep eyes away from his family as much as possible. He couldn’t afford the shit storm that the media would cause if they ever caught wind of what was going on.

When Logan had entered college, he hadn't been sure what he wanted to even major in. He had briefly played with the idea of a business major considering someone with his wealth would probably benefit the most from something useful like that. So that’s what he told his friends and family he was doing. But really, he was an English major with a focus on American Lit and Writing. It wasn’t that he was necessarily embarrassed by his choice, but he didn’t want to answer the million questions that he would undoubtedly get.

_Why English? What can you do with that as a major? You like to read?_

He could almost hear their incredulous voices. People, for whatever reason, didn’t expect much from him. He wasn’t sure if they assumed he’d be handed everything on a silver platter or if they really did think he had nothing going on in his brain. Either way, it pissed him off.

Only one person had ever known his love for literature, and she was the one person he refused to tell anything to. So for now, he was alone when it came to his choice in profession. He wasn’t sure when exactly he had realized what he wanted to do, but he knew without a doubt what it was. Publishing. He wanted to start his own publishing company. He knew it would probably never happen— another dream that he couldn’t afford to waste his energy on— but he couldn’t help but feel excited when thinking about it.

When he returned home, tired and hungry, he caught himself staring toward the Mars’ small two-story home across from three-story atrocity of a house. He wondered if she were home, and debated on going over there to find out for himself. But what would his excuse be for going over and checking on her? She had already agreed to come to him with any information she got. So instead of heading to Veronica’s, he decided to make himself a sandwich before heading to the pool to read the chapters his professor had assigned that day.

When he arrived at the pool, he had the feeling he was being watched. It wasn’t unusual for him to feel that way when he came to the pool to read. For years he thought maybe Veronica watched him from her window, but whenever he had the courage to look, she wasn’t there. So like all the other times he felt her eyes (eyes that he was clearly making up) on him, he ignored the feeling and opened his book.

He had been reading for maybe five minutes when he heard soft footsteps heading in the direction of the lounge chair he was currently inhabiting. Looking up he spotted Veronica making her way to him.

He thought about making one of his many sarcastic quips. He liked the banter they shared, even if half the time he wasn’t sure if they were joking or truly angry with each other. Most of the time he said shit to get under her skin. He couldn’t ignore the way her retorts always turned him a little on.

Hey, he liked a girl that could hold her own.

But instead of saying anything, he watched her silently. Wondering why she was there. He didn’t get an answer from her. Instead, she sat in the chair beside him. It was then that he realized she was holding her own book in her hands. He tilted his head her way and gave a small, knowing smile. He knew she still remembered the days they had spent doing exactly this.

His heart tugged a bit with the memory. During those days Logan had actually thought that maybe, just maybe, someone got him— understood him in a way nobody had ever tried before. He had thought that they had a common bond, something special.

He’d been wrong of course.

 

Seven Years Ago

_Logan knew his dad would be home for the week, and just as Veronica had suggested, he found himself knocking on the Mars’ front door. He had only hoped she really meant what she said about coming over._

_He’d been sent to the principal’s office only once during his father’s absence from Neptune, but he knew that was one time too many for his pop. Aaron would use it as an excuse to demonstrate what a fuck up Logan was. And he’d just begun to heal from the last demonstration, so he wasn’t entirely sure he’d survive another._

_Keith Mars opened the door and when he saw Logan his face showed just how confused he was to see his boss’ son on his doorstep._

_For the first time in his life, Logan felt nervous to talk to a girl’s dad. And he wasn’t even messing around with Veronica._

_Even the idea of messing around with Veronica… Gross._

_“Hey…” Logan said, unsure as to what to even say. He rubbed his neck— a nervous habit. “Is Veronica around? She… uh… we had a project to finish.”_

_He wasn’t sure why he was lying to Keith. Maybe he was trying to lie to himself. Personally, he couldn’t actually believe he was coming over to hang out with his blonde next-door neighbor either. He’d spent so much time hating her, he hadn’t ever thought he’d one day be knocking and asking for her._

_“No, she’s at soccer practice…” Keith eyed him suspiciously, but continued, “You can wait for her if you’d like. She’ll be back soon.”_

_Soccer? Veronica played soccer? Shit, he didn’t realize how little he’d actually paid attention to her. He tried to avoid her at home, and it wasn’t exactly like they ran in the same circles at school._

_“Thanks, Mr. Mars.”_

_Logan showed himself in and decided he needed to stop acting like such a pussy. This was his house after all. His family owned every inch of it. Keith Mars worked for him. There was no reason to be nervous._

_Right?_

_Right._

_“I’ll just be upstairs,” Logan told Keith over his shoulder. He didn’t wait for the old man to tell him he wasn’t allowed in his daughter’s room. Because frankly, he didn’t care._

_Upon entering her room, he realized one of two things._

_First, the number of pastel colors that covered every inch of her room didn’t fit the persona he had come to admire about her. She was a badass who took his shit like a pro. So the pinks and yellows surprised him. It was so… girly._

_Second, if she was the person who had taken the photographs that cluttered her walls, she was amazing. There were black and whites, colored photos, small, large, ones of people, some of animals and of nature. As he circled her room he admired all of the photos. He didn’t know much about photography, but from what he could tell, they looked professional. How a fourteen-year-old girl even took photos like this was beyond him._

_Once he was done with his perusal, he sat on her bed and couldn’t help but acknowledge how small it was. But then again, her room was the size of a closet, so she didn’t have much room to work with. The mattress was hard as a rock too. He wondered how she even slept like that._

_Beside her bed was a nightstand. On it was a lamp, a music box, a book (Harry Potter… lame), and what appeared to be a journal. Curious, he picked the journal up and opened it to the last entry, but before he could read anything, the sound of a throat clearing had him throwing it back onto the nightstand._

_“Logan, what the hell are you doing?” Veronica asked. She looked from him to her journal and her eyes grew angry. “Did you read that?”_

_He smiled at the way she sounded nervous. Maybe she’d written about her crushes. But his stomach rolled at the idea of her liking someone from their class. He wasn’t sure why, but the idea was not something he liked._

_“No, seeing how you rudely interrupted me,” he answered her, laying back onto her bed, arms behind his head._

_“Oh, my bad,” she apologized, voice full of sarcasm, “How rude. By all means, read my personal journal…”_

_She threw a bag on the ground and kicked off her shoes. He watched her with fascination. She hadn’t even tried to kick him out of her room. He was happy to know she had really meant what she said when she offered for him to come over when he needed._

_He watched as she let her hair, which was in a high ponytail, down. It was wavy from being up. He’d always liked her hair. Blonde and long. It always looked so soft. She was still in her soccer uniform, and he had to admit it did something for him. His fourteen-year-old hormones were all over the place, and he hated that she looked hot like this— sweaty and athletic._

_Veronica finally realized she had an audience, and her cheeks reddened a little. “I need a shower,” she mumbled before leaving him alone in her room again. There was something oddly comforting in the fact that she trusted him to be alone in her room. She hadn’t even tried to hide or move her journal._

_Trust. She had given him her trust, he realized._

_A smile crept on his face and he groaned. This girl… He couldn’t pin her down, and it killed him._

 

Present

Logan had fallen asleep while reading— something Veronica remembered him frequently doing during their time together in the past. A small smile played on her lips remembering the first time he’d fallen asleep on top of her bed while she had sat on the floor of her bedroom. When he’d woken up he’d complained about his back and how shitty her bed was. At the time she couldn’t disagree. The bed sucked.

But they were now adults, and while it was nice to pretend like everything was the way it had been, it wasn’t. He’d forced her to leave Neptune, and she had done so without ever looking back.

Until now.

Presently, she watched Logan as his chest rose and fell with even breaths, his book lying on his bare chest. He had to be stressed out over his mom being gone— even if he had unwavering faith that she was alive and well. Veronica, being the cynic she was, had to be the one who was reasonable enough to know there was a chance Lynn was buried in the ground somewhere. If Logan wanted to believe the world was easy and uncomplicated, she’d let him. For now…

He began to stir and when he peeked one eye open at her, he gave her the first genuine smile she’d seen from him since she’d returned.

God, his smile was unlike anything else, and Veronica had to remind herself that while he was beautiful on the outside, it didn’t change who he was.

“You like watching people sleep, Mars?” he asked on a yawn.

She rolled her eyes, too dignified to even give a response.

His arm reached out for her and she felt as his fingertips brushed her arm. She ignored the shiver trying to force its way through her. She would not give him the satisfaction of knowing just how much her body responded to him, even now. She turned her head away from him and stared at the sparkling pool. It was sunset and the pool’s glimmer mirrored the oranges and pinks in the sky.

He continued to brush against her, but when she gave a quick look his way, she found his eyes on the pool as well. He looked deep in thought.

“This is nice,” he finally sighed.

Turning her gaze back to the pool, she accepted his touch and had to keep herself from melting against it. She tried to focus on his words and managed a “Mmm?” as a response.

“This. Just sitting here… _being_.”

“Being?” Veronica echoed absentmindedly. She was too engaged in the fact that he was still touching her. He’d let his hand fall lower, toward her own hand. He brushed his thumb against her wrist, but the way Veronica couldn’t breathe you’d think he was touching her somewhere else… A place that was, unfortunately, aching for his touch. This annoyed her, but it didn’t stop her from thinking about him in that way.

“Yeah,” he said, stealing her attention, “ _Being_. You know, sitting here like this, admiring a sunset in the pool. Just the two of us. Nobody else is here to make anything more of it than what it is... Which is two people admiring the sunset together. Tonight you’ll get in your bed, and I’ll get in mine and everything— this moment— is over. But for now? We’re just two people enjoying each other’s company while watching the sky’s art.”

Though she tried, Veronica couldn’t stop from letting her mind wander to a moment in time that was a lot like this. The two of them, sharing a secret moment.

But she stopped herself because she also had the unfortunate memory of what happened after. After the sunset melted off of the sky into the dark, starless sky. She remembered exactly what it felt like to go their separate ways. She never wanted to feel that way again.

So instead of allowing them to share another moment, she ruined it by saying, “I think I have someone with info on your mom.”

And just like that, Logan was back to being himself. He pulled his hand away as if her skin burned him. She watched as the peace that had engulfed him moments earlier left in one swift move. She almost felt guilty. Almost.

“Well,” he said sitting and closing his book, “you know where to find me if you get anything worth sharing. But make sure you knock. Never know when someone may be in the room with me.”

And he left her. Alone. Staring at a dark, colorless pool of water.

 

Logan stormed off, knowing what his words would do to her. He knew she’d known what he was referring to— the moment both tried to forget but couldn’t. The time he’d fucked up again. But that time was the final straw when it came to their past… Friendship? Relationship? Hell, he didn’t even know what to call the weird, secret thing they had shared together three years ago.

But it didn’t matter.

Not anymore.

Pulling his phone from his pocket he scrolled through his contact list until he found who he was looking for.

“Brooooo, where you been?” Dick, his best friend, slurred on the other line. Logan smiled knowing Dick Casablancas was already wasted. Especially since being wasted was Logan’s primary goal now for the night.

“I’ve been busy,” Logan replied nonchalantly. He chanced a look back toward the pool. Veronica was still sitting where he had left her. Determination for a good night… or at least a night where he could forget everything, filled him, and he asked, “Where are you now?”

“Some frat party. Delta something. Lilly’s here.”

The name of Logan’s ex sobered his quest for a party slightly. Would she see him and expect to hook up? He really didn’t feel like the drama she would most likely cause.

“Logan? Dude you there?”

“Yeah… Sorry.”

“You coming? I’ll send my location if you’re down.”

One last glance toward the pool revealed that Veronica had made her way back home.

“Oh, I’m down.”

 

An hour later, Logan was already starting to feel buzzed. Alcohol was coursing through his veins, and he had taken a small pill Dick gave him. His friend had laughed at him when he asked if Logan wanted to at least know what it was and Logan had told him no. Maybe he was being reckless, but wasn’t that what he was known for?

Logan was just giving the people what they wanted.

Lilly was grinding her ass against some frat dude’s front, and if someone were to look close enough, Logan knew they’d probably find that the guy was probably sporting a nice boner. But nobody paid them any attention because they were just two of many people drunk and dancing. Logan? Well, he was sulking in the corner sipping on his drink watching everyone have fun.

He didn’t find this shit fun anymore. Logan was about to be an adult… scratch that, he was already supposed to be an adult. But fuck if he knew how to be one. The four adults he had primarily grown up with had done a bang-up job teaching him. There was Aaron who liked to hit people when he didn’t get his way… like he was a five-year-old in the sandbox. Then there was his mom who smiled as she was hit by his dad. She hid her pain behind plastic surgery and self-medication. Keith Mars was one of the few men he grew up around who was normal, and _he_ could hardly stand the sight of Logan. All Logan had learned from him was that it paid to do your job well. Also, never let your daughter out of your sight. Keith did that pretty damn well too. Finally, there was Jake Kane. But nobody really knew Jake. He was the man with a smile that was too wide.

_Like a clown. Or Pacman…_

Logan chuckled at that thought. Shit, he was drunk. And probably a little high now that he was thinking about it. The need to sit down was overwhelming so he slowly moved from his little corner and wandered through the frat house, hoping to find a quiet room that wasn’t currently being used by horny college kids.

He had no such luck. After what seemed like the millionth room he’d found occupied, he finally decided to take a walk outside. Which was stupid. Logan was shitfaced and campus police would probably find him and call the actual cops. But he didn’t really care. Let them take him.

The air was cold and it assaulted his hot skin when he stepped onto the porch. There were some people scattered around the house talking quietly. Apparently, he wasn’t the only one who needed some peace and quiet. But evidently, he was the only one alone.

So alone.

But Logan didn’t dwell on that fact for too long. He needed to get away from that house. He didn’t want to be around his friends and their smiles and laughs. Not when he had no reason to smile or laugh with them.

_She makes you smile._

That thought came from left field and he wanted to punch his inner Logan. Because what the hell? He didn’t want to think about her soft blonde hair. Or her blue eyes. God, her eyes were perfect.

Pulling his phone from the pocket of my jeans, he didn’t realize what he was doing until it was too late.

“Logan?”

Her voice was scratchy from sleep. Logan imagined her on that terrible bed in her small room. She didn’t deserve to sleep in such a shitty bed. His drunk mind was devising a way to buy her a new bed when she tried again. “Logan, you there?”

Logan knew she was trying to sound annoyed but couldn’t ignore the worry in her voice. She was always so damn worried about him.

“Mmm,” was all his drunk ass could come up with.

She was quiet for a moment, and he almost thought she had hung up. But then she asked him quietly, “Have you been drinking? Where are you?”

“Jake Kane has a clown face,” Logan told her instead of answering. He began to laugh and realized he was still walking in the dark. When he looked around him, he had no idea where he was.

“What?” She sounded exasperated but continued to worry about him when she asked, “Logan where are you?”

“No idea,” he told her honestly. “Were you ‘sleep 'Ronica?” his slurred words asked. He was in trouble. He was wandering around some random neighborhood and it was the middle of the night. Not only that, but he was completely out of his mind from whatever Dick had given him. So stupid. Why had he taken something without a second thought?

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

 _You do this to yourself, Logan,_ he heard his dad’s voice tell him. _You’re a fuckup. I wouldn’t have to do this if you were a good person._

“Go away,” Logan told the voice, forgetting that his phone was still pressed to his ear.

“Logan _you_ called _me_ ,” Veronica growled. “Now tell me where the fuck you are so I can come get you.”

Oh shit. That’s right, Veronica was still talking to him. _And_ she had said fuck. It sounded foreign coming from her.  

“Not talkin’ to you, baby. To my dad…” But then remembering the question she’d repeatedly asked, he told her, “Don’t know where I am, but I’m near campus…” Finding a street sign he smiled, “Tenth street. I’ll stay here. Come find me, Mars.”

Then he hung up. Like the asshole he was.

Knowing she’d come.

She always did.

 

Veronica spent the better part of an hour trying to locate him. She knew he was around Hearst College, but she didn’t have one of those fancy phones that allowed her to plug in an address to a GPS. So instead, she drove around like an idiot in her dad’s old Le Baron, trying to locate a drunk Logan Echolls.

When she finally did find him, he was already passed out.

“Great”, she mumbled to herself as she pulled over to the place he was currently inhabiting. He was curled on a bus stop's bench as if it were the coziest damn bed in the world.

When she stepped out of her car and bent over him she felt a wave of sadness wash over her. He was still pulling the same shit he tried pulling in high school. When would he ever learn? She thought about their time they spent together— sober. Sober Logan was intelligent, snarky, friendly… He was everything. _This_ Logan? The one that was out cold from whatever was in his system? Not so much.

“Lo,” Veronica brushed her fingertips across his cheek, trying hard not to startle him. But he didn’t even stir. “Lo, come on. Let’s go home,” she said a little louder. She gripped his arm and shook him slightly. That elicited a response from the sleeping man— the beautiful, broken man who liked to take her heart and tear it apart piece by piece.

He moaned and opened one eye. Spotting her he groaned, “Hey 'Ronica. You here to take me home?” He attempted a smile but it faltered and he winced.

“You’re such an idiot,” she told him before helping him up. He stumbled as he made his way to her car, but was able to get himself in.

Thank god. She wasn’t sure what she would have done if he hadn’t been able to walk.

Once they were in the Le Baron, on their way back home, Logan broke his silence.

“I’m sorry, Veronica…”

Heart racing, Veronica kept her eyes on the road, pretending as though he didn’t affect her in any way.

“You always come to the rescue, don’t you?” he continued.

Sighing she risked a glance his way. He was staring out the window, clearly deep in thought. “For the people I care about… yeah,” she agreed. For a brief moment, his eyes met hers, but she returned her gaze to the road.

Her breath hitched when she felt him brush hair behind her ear. His touch was soft and rested there for a moment too long. But she didn’t dare move. Whatever trance was over them, she didn’t want it ending. Not yet, anyway.

“Veronica—” Logan’s soft words were cut off by the sound of Veronica’s ringtone.

“It’s probably my dad,” she told him as though she needed to explain why they’d been interrupted. But it was too late. The magic was gone. The spell Logan had been under was broken.

“Speaking of which, your phone is ancient.” He sounded like himself, but tired.

“I happen to like my ancient phone, thank you.”

It was a lie. It was nights like tonight that made her wish she had a fancy phone. But not everyone was blessed with a bank account that could afford new things.

“Weren’t you the one who complained that your dad still used dial-up in high school?” he asked playfully, “I think you said, ‘I feel like I live in the stone age,’ didn’t you?”

How had he remembered that?

Knowing he was calling her bluff she just huffed and rolled her eyes.

“I know you better than you think, Mars.”

“Sure.”

But she knew it was true.

She just didn’t know how she felt about that fact.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your support! You all are why I do this.  
> XOXO


	4. ...when all I wanna do is protect you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING: RAPE
> 
> You can still read this chapter. If you wish to skip the rape scene it begins with "Three Years Later." The whole "Three Years Later" scene is not the rape scene but it is how it ends. Just giving a heads up. It's not extremely graphic, but could be disturbing to some readers.

Logan’s first thought when he woke up the next morning was,  _ Kill me. _ But once he was able to get past his raging headache and massive hangover cotton mouth, his next thought was,  _ Where am I?  _

Yes, he knew both of those things pointed to one conclusion: he was an idiot. 

But as he slowly peeked his eyes open, he realized he was home. How had he even gotten there? Glancing around the room gave him the answer. In his massive lounging chair across the room, a small blonde was curled up and sleeping. 

Veronica. 

So naturally, the next few thoughts that went through Logan’s mind were a jumbled mess. 

_ How had she found him? How did she get him into his bed? Why was she  _ still _ there? _

He also knew Veronica was the kind of person who didn’t take shit from anyone. So as he watched her sleep, he almost prayed she wouldn’t ever wake up because he knew he was going to get his butt kicked. He’d been there and done that. 

She was wearing pajama bottoms and a tank top. He tried to ignore the fact that she clearly wasn’t wearing a bra, but his traitorous dick decided to take notice anyway. Logan pushed that fucker down and ordered him to pipe down. 

No pun intended. 

His fidgeting must have alerted Veronica that he was awake, because her eyes slowly opened as she yawned. Sitting up, she stretched her body. God, she must be sore after sleeping all night in a chair, and guilt spread through Logan’s chest. 

And too add to his guilt? The first thing to come out of her mouth was, “How are you feeling?” And God help him, she really did seem worried. 

“Honestly, Mars?” he croaked through chapped lips, “Like complete shit.” 

Veronica’s lips twitched as if she were holding back a smile. 

“What?” Logan demanded.

Veronica let her smile break through then and a laugh escaped. It was sickly sweet and completely unlike her. At least, the her she usually pretended to be around him. 

“Good, you asshole!” she smiled, “I had to drive around for an hour trying to figure out where you were.” 

Logan groaned and placed a pillow over his face. Her muffled laughs stopped and he heard her shuffling around his room. The pillow was ripped from his face and he was forced to look at her suddenly solemn face. 

“Don’t do that again,” she said in a low voice. He wasn’t sure if she was angry or concerned. Maybe both. 

“I don’t plan on it,” Logan told her. And he was being honest. The thought of feeling like  _ this _ again would be enough to keep him from ever drinking again.

Okay, so maybe not  _ ever again _ , but he’d definitely refuse anymore drugs from Dick. 

She studied him before announcing, “My connection wants to meet up. He thinks he has something for us.”

That sobered Logan. He sat up and scrubbed his face before asking, “Want me to join you?”

Veronica shook her head quickly and said, “Nope. No… You get some breakfast in you and I’ll come back with whatever news I might get.” 

She seemed nervous. Why didn’t she want him to join? 

“Veronica, who’s your connection?” he asked slowly. 

She bit her lip and stood. 

“I’ll be back. Get cleaned up.” 

So she didn’t want him to know who was helping her. 

She was a woman of many secrets. 

Then again, secrets were kind of their forte. 

* * *

 

Four Years Ago

_ “Veronica’s lookin’ pretty hot,” Duncan smirked. Logan and Duncan were playing video games in his families game room. And unfortunately the game room had a direct view of the pool. A pool which Veronica Mars was currently getting out of.  _

_ It could have been a clichè movie scene. Two friends spying on the hot blonde next door as she gets of the pool in her barely-there swimsuit.  _

_ Cue the slo-mo.  _

_ But this wasn’t a movie. It was real life. And in real life, the blonde next door refused to ever wear a bikini. Instead she sported a plain black one-piece. But even Logan had to admit that the way it hugged her curves made him lust after her— his friend… well, his  _ secret _ friend. _

_ “You need to get laid,” was Logan’s response to his best friend’s horndog comment.  _

_ Duncan had paused the game they were currently half-assedly playing to oggle Veronica, and something about that pissed Logan off. DK kept his eyes on Veronica when he said, “Maybe I’ll do just that.”  _

_ Oh, fuck no. _

_ If Duncan thought he could put his hands on Veronica, he had another thing coming. But how the hell was Logan supposed to say that without ruining the nice little bubble he and Veronica had created for themselves? Duncan would know something was up if Logan acted possessive… even if it didn’t come from jealousy. Logan was just concerned for his secret friend.  _

_ Right?  _

_ “Dude, put your eyes back in your head and your dick back in your pants. She’d never go for you.”  _

_ Logan wasn’t entirely sure that was true, but he had to hope it would deter Duncan from pursuing whatever plan he’d no-doubtedly conjured up in his head.  _

_ Duncan turned his attention back to Logan and quirked an eyebrow, his mouth in a wide smile. “Why do you think that? I bet she’d eat this good-boy thing up in a second.”  _

_ ‘Good-boy thing…’ Logan wanted to punch DK. Sure, his friend acted like he was all innocent— rainbows and butterflies, but the dude was a douche behind closed doors. The present conversation was proof of that.  _

_ “Why?” Logan asked, “Because  _ she’s _ a good girl?” He laughed, but it rang false. He just wanted this damn conversation to be over already.  _

_ “Yeah.” _

_ “Haven’t you ever heard that opposites attract?” Logan pointed out. Truth be told, Veronica wasn’t the pretty pastel flower everyone made her out to be. She had her own demons. Her own shadows.  _

_ Secrets.  _

_ Duncan really studied him then. And Logan knew he was letting his underbelly show. Duncan went for it when he asked, “You into her, man?”  _

_ Logan was currently dating Lilly Kane— IE: Duncan’s sister. So obviously this was a loaded question. If he said yes, Lilly would be on his ass in a second. There’s no way Duncan would let him do that to Lilly. But if he said no, Veronica was free game.  _

_ “Veronica Mars?” Logan scoffed.  _

_ “Yeah, you into her?”  _

_ “She’d be a good lay… I heard it’s the quiet ones that are freakiest in bed,” was Logan’s quick reply. Just hearing the words come from his mouth made him cringe. Why was he such an asshole? Why couldn’t he just admit out loud that he and Veronica were friends?  _

_ So what? They read books together every once in a while. She kept him safe from his dad, though now he could kick his dad’s ass if he really wanted to (spoiler: he didn’t want to). It didn’t mean they were exchanging friendship bracelets or buying wedding rings.  _

_ Duncan let out a howl of a laugh. “Now  _ that’s  _ funny!”  _

_ No, it really wasn’t. And if this guy thought he was going to have anything to with Veronica, especially after agreeing with the disgusting thing Logan had just said about her, he was delusional.  _

 

_ It was two days later when Logan found himself lying on Veronica’s bed. She was lying next to him rereading the Harry Potter series for what Logan had to guess was the fifth time since they’d started this whole thing three years ago. Then she had been fourteen, and a kid’s book made sense. Now? She was seventeen for Chrissake. But everytime Logan made fun of her, she told him he couldn’t judge her until he tried to read them for himself.  _

_ No thank you.  _

_ Logan, however, was currently reading Catcher in the Rye. Something Veronica had snorted at and had commented, “Figures.” _

_ Whatever the hell  _ that  _ was supposed to mean.  _

_ But after the third attempt at reading the paragraph he was on, he had to put his book down and close his eyes. He was still pissed at Duncan and worried his best friend would act on his promise:  _ “I’ll have her in a week. Just watch.” 

_ Veronica sensed his unease (like she always did) and put her book down, turning on her side and nestling herself against him. It wasn’t the first time they had done this. Logan didn’t want to call it cuddling because that was some romantic shit he didn’t do (unless Lilly wanted to after sex). And Veronica was just his friend.  _

_ “What’s wrong?” she asked quietly. When he didn’t answer her, she sighed and admitted, “Duncan asked me out.”  _

_ Logan shot up from his position and glared at her. His blood was boiling. That bastard. He actually did it.  _

_ “What did you say?” Logan pressed, though it sounded more like an accusation. As if he already knew the dreaded answer she was going to say.  _

_ “I told him I’d go on a date…” Her voice trailed off and she became engrossed by her fingers that were currently playing with the pages of her stupid kid’s book.  _

_ “Maybe we should go on a double date,” Logan sneered. “You, me, and the Kane siblings. It’ll be… cozy.”  _

_ He wanted to shut up. He wanted to be the kind of guy who could be happy for his friend. She’d once told him she’d never been on a date before. Surely she’d been excited when Duncan Kane, Prince of Neptune, had asked her out. And here he was, Asshole of Neptune, ruining the moment for her.  _

_ “You don’t have to be a jerk,” Veronica warned him. She no longer looked meek. Her eyes were burning with a heat he’d put there. And part of him enjoyed that. He liked that he could set her soul on fire like that. _

_ “Don’t I?” he pressed.  _

_ “Self-deprecation isn’t an attractive trait, Logan,” Veronica pushed. She sat up and came face to face with him. They were sparring. It was something they did often— fought. It always hurt so good.  _

_ Logan hated that it turned him on.  _

_ Ignoring her excellent point, he instead said, “I didn’t take you to be the kind of girl who’d fall all over Duncan Kane. Then again, he might be the perfect guy to take your virginity. You want someone vanilla in bed for the first time.”  _

_ God, did he ever shut up? He watched as Veronica paled at the mention of her virginity. He knew it was a soft-spot for her. Something she didn’t like to talk about. The only other time they’d ever brought it up was when she’d sent him an accidental text about it. Who the original text was supposed to go to, he wasn’t sure.  _

_ “Get out.”  _

_ He hated how hurt she sounded. But he didn’t budge. She couldn’t really mean it. She knew his dad was home… that his dad had been drinking.  _

_ “Logan Echolls. Get out of my house.” _

_ She was serious. He knew that now. It was evident in the way she was holding back how angry she really was.  _

_ Feeling bad he began to apologize, “Vero—” _

_ “Get the hell out of my house!”  _

_ “No.”  _

_ They held each other’s gaze.  _

_ “Veronica, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that,” Logan groaned. He laid back down and tried to even out his breathing which was going batshit crazy due to how pissed he was at Duncan. He felt the dip of the bed and once again she was beside him.  _

_ “I can say no to him, but you have to give me a reason.” He could barely hear her words, they were hesitant and soft.  _

_ But he couldn’t come up with a reason. Not really. Other than the fact that he felt like she belonged to him and nobody else. But he couldn’t say that.  _

_ “Go,” Logan said on a broken sigh. Because who was he to stop that from happening? Duncan, though lewd behind closed doors, was a pretty decent guy. There were worse people she could be going on a date with…  _

Like you, asshole _ , Logan thought solemnly.  _

_ He expected Veronica to say something, but she didn’t. She just curled into him and let out a shaky breath.  _

_ “I won’t sleep with him, Lo. You know I’m not like that.”  _

_ And he did. She wasn’t like Lilly. She was the kind of girl who had plans and stuck to them. She calculated pros and cons. If he were honest, she thought way too into things— got stuck in her head too often.  _

_ “Why would I care?” he asked trying as hard as possible to put some emotional distance between the two of them. This was why he and Lilly worked. This emotional shit was not something they worried about. Sure, they would be immature and piss each other off. But this deep stuff? The stuff that he and Veronica were getting way too close to? He didn’t do this.  _

_ He knew he needed to get the hell out of her room… out of her arms. But he couldn’t bring himself to move away. In some messed up way he needed the comfort she brought him. He needed her smiles. Her laughs. Her company. He needed her.  _

_ And that was something that scared the shit out of him.  _

* * *

 

Veronica tried not to dwell on the fact that she was avoiding Logan. She hadn’t been home even a week, and she was already feeling claustrophobic. Logan was everywhere she turned. Not that she could blame him; it was his property after all. But she had spent three years trying to forget the boy next door, and in the matter of a few days everything she’d worked so hard to forget about had come crashing back in.

That’s what they were, she decided— a crash. Destruction. A perfect storm. They had found this to be true throughout the years of being neighbors, friends, and… well, whatever they were. They couldn’t help but hurt each other. 

Veronica had gotten information from Weevil, and it was definitely a lead. One of his buddies had recently sold an ID and a passport to Ms. Lianne Lester. Veronica had cringed when Weevil mentioned the name Lianne. She avoided thinking about her mother as much as possible, and just hearing her mother’s first name said aloud had undone all of Veronica’s hard work at compartmentalizing. She’d filed the memory of Lianne Mars in the far back of her memory. 

Veronica wasn’t sure why Lynn would have used the name Lianne Lester, but if she had to bet, Lynn was the mystery woman. The man had sold the items to the woman placed her there three days before Lynn’s disappearance. Other than a name and the fact that she had paid cash, there wasn’t much to go off of. The only thing that didn’t make sense was the description. He said the woman who had been a blonde with green eyes. Neither of which fit Lynn’s description. But Veronica decided she must have worn a disguise or had someone else do the pick up. 

So after a few days of hiding from Logan, she finally put her own personal feelings aside, and found herself pushing her way through Logan’s— correction, Logan’s dad’s— office, Veronica was ready to tell Logan what she had. What she hadn’t expected was Lilly Kane. 

Lilly Kane and Logan Echolls looking rather cozy. 

“Oh!” Veronica squeaked. Her face flushed and she started to back out of the office. “I didn’t realize you had company.” 

She eyed Logan to gage whether or not he was pissed at her interruption. But he appeared unfazed and knit his brows together. 

“You can stay. Lilly was just dropping something off,” Logan told Veronica. She stopped her departure, but didn’t venture further into the room. 

Lilly’s legs were draped over Logan’s. They sat behind the desk in the ridiculously large desk chair. Veronica wanted to ask how dropping something off ended up with her on his lap, but she bit her cheek instead. 

“Oh. My. Gawd! Veronica Mars?!” Lilly gasped. 

“In the flesh,” Veronica quipped as she threw her hands up sarcastically. 

Lilly didn’t catch on, or if she did she didn’t let on because she continued with a smile on her face. “It’s been  _ years _ . How have you been?” 

Veronica eyed her, trying hard not to be suspicious of this girl’s intentions. Lilly continued to smile at Veronica— her ass still firmly planted on Logan’s lap. 

“Great,” was Veronica’s eventual reply. She turned her attention away from the beautiful blonde and focused on Logan. “I have news.”

She didn’t add ‘about your mom’ because she wasn’t sure how much Lilly knew. And just as she had suspected, Logan stiffened slightly, but nodded as he whispered something into Lilly’s ear. Lilly turned her face to Logan and planted a kiss on his lips before standing. 

“Guess, I’ll see you around Ver-ronica Mars,” she smiled. Before exiting the door she turned back to Logan and blew a kiss. “See you tonight, lover.” 

And with that, the illustrious Lilly Kane vanished, closing the door behind her. 

Swallowing down something that tasted grossly like jealousy, Veronica crept closer to the desk Logan was still sitting behind. 

“That was cute.” Veronica wiggled her eyebrows trying to appear playful. But Logan saw through the BS. 

“Jealous?” he taunted with the slight quirk of his lips. 

She had to keep from scoffing out a quick ‘no’ because that would only make it more obvious. So instead she shrugged and smiled. “ _ Moi _ ?” she asked coyly, “I have ice where a heart should be.” 

Logan’s lips pursed and then he narrowed his eyes, “Funny,” he jested, “I thought it was a marshmallow.”

Rolling her eyes, she didn’t even try to stop the smile that spread across her face. 

“Don’t you want to know what she dropped off?” Logan continued. 

“No, I really don’t.”

“You might be interested.”

“I really won’t.” 

“Fine,” he huffed. “Your loss.” 

But Veronica  _ did  _ want to know. She also wanted to know if he and Lilly were a thing again. They hadn’t spent much time catching up. Apparently they were both good at avoiding tough conversations.

_ Like the one we need to have about what happened three years ago…  _ she thought wryly. 

But she kept everything under lock and reminded him, “I have info.”

His playful demeanor dropped and he sighed. “Right. Hit me.”

“As tempting of an offer that is—” Veronica tried joking. 

“You’d never hit me, Veronica. You wouldn’t want to mess up this face you love so much,” he played back. 

She’d missed this. The playful banter.

She ignored his use of the word love and went back to business. “I think your mom bought an ID and a passport under the name Lianne Lester.” 

“Lester was her maiden name.”

“Yeah,” Veronica acknowledged, “I found out as much with a quick internet search. Why Lianne?”

He looked pensive, but just shrugged, “Maybe she wanted something similar to her own name, and thought about your mom?”

She clenched her jaw at the mention of her mom, and Logan noticed. 

“Shit,” he apologized, “I know you hate talking about h—”

“No, it’s fine,” she cut him off, really not wanting to have that conversation with him, “You’re probably right.”

Her skin itched under his gaze. He saw right through her— into the dark places she hid everything from everyone around her. He illuminated the old memories she’d desperately tried to forget. 

She hated him for it. 

She loved him for it. 

Shit, she didn’t know what she felt anymore.  

“I’m going to put some feelers out in boatyards, private hangers… to see if they picked up any passengers with that name.” 

Logan still didn’t say a word. He just nodded and watched her.

She needed his eyes off of her. So she said her goodbye and hurried out of the office.

She wasn’t in the mood to be seen—  _ really  _ seen.

Especially by Logan Echolls. 

* * *

 

Three Years Ago

_ It was the night of Shelly Pomroy’s big, bad party. Everyone from Neptune High would be there. Including Veronica. _

_ Unfortunately. _

_ She wasn’t sure how she’d gotten looped into going, but it was all Logan’s fault. He’d convinced her that she needed to go because it would be the ultimate middle finger to Duncan.  _

_ She had gone on that date with Duncan last year. It had gone well enough. Duncan never gave her butterflies, and half the time she had wondered what Logan was doing, but when Duncan had asked for a second date, Veronica hadn’t been able to find a reason to say no.  _

_ Well, she had a reason, but that reason was currently dating Lilly Kane and was incredibly unavailable.  _

_ So she had said yes, and they dated for the rest of her Junior year. Logan hadn’t tried to hide his contempt for the situation. Veronica now hung out with Duncan, Logan, and their friends, and Logan used every opportunity possible to vocalize his disgust with the relationship. While his friends laughed because they thought he disapproved of Duncan dating Veronica, Veronica knew the truth. He was being an ass because he didn’t want Veronica with Duncan.  _

_ But he had been dating Lilly. He had no right to be jealous, or angry, or whatever-the-hell it was he was feeling.  _

_ Duncan had continually to pressured her for sex and would get mad when she said no. He started to become suspicious of her and Logan too. He’d constantly ask if they were hooking up. They weren’t, and she’d tried to tell her boyfriend that, but he never really acted like he believed her. So after a year of dating, they’d called it quits.  _

_ When he’d finally broken up with her, he’d accused her of cheating. Duncan went on to tell the whole school that she a slut who was boring in bed. She wanted to tell him that he needed to choose one or the other. If she was supposedly getting a bunch on the side, how could she possibly be boring in bed? But instead she swallowed her pride and pretended like his words didn’t affect her.  _

_ Logan was the only one who continued to pay any attention to her from her new friend group. And by attention, she meant privately. In public, he sat and smiled with Duncan, Dick, and the rest of them. He’d quickly glance her way when she was near them, but he never spoke to her.  _

_ He claimed it was for her own good. But she had a hard time believing him.  _

_ So when Shelly had invited her to her party, Veronica had been shocked. She wasn’t going to go until Logan told her it would be a good idea. He’d told her Duncan wouldn’t expect that from her, and he’d hate seeing her have fun.  _

_ He’d been right. When she stepped into the pool area of Shelly’s home, people had stared at her like she had two heads. But Logan had run up to her and handed her a drink.  _

_ “You came,” he whispered happily. He was buzzed, she could tell by the lazy smile he wore. _

_ “And you’re talking to me in front of your friends. Whatever will they say?” she asked in mock horror.  _

_ “Fuck ’em,” he replied with a shrug. He pulled her into him and kissed the top of her head. He was often a flirt when he drank. This was apparently one of those times.  _

_ “Lo… they’re going to know you like me,” she whispered into his chest.  _

_ “I really don’t fucking care,” he told her. He pulled away and turned to the crowd that was eyeing them cautiously. “If you have a problem with Veronica, you have a problem with me,” he told them sternly. They all rushed to appear as though they weren’t watching and gossiping. _

_ Warmth spread through Veronica and she couldn’t help but smile up at her friend.  _

_ “Thanks,” she smiled.  _

_ “Anything for you,” he told her. His voice held so much honesty that Veronica blushed.  _

 

_ Half an hour later, Logan was pulled away for a round of beer pong. Veronica had been ordered by Logan to stay in the living room until he was back, so she had settled onto the Pomroy’s plush couch. Slowly sipping from the red Solo cup Logan had given her, Veronica watched as her classmates partied around her. They paid her no attention. Though Logan had basically declared she was with him, people still weren’t jumping in line to be her friend. Not that she really cared.  _

_ It was the stench of a familiar cologne that pulled her attention away from the dancing teenagers and to the individual who had seated himself beside her.  _

_ A cruel smile and accusing eyes were directed in her direction, and as she tried to get up, a firm hand grabbed her leg, keeping her in place.  _

_ “Duncan,” Veronica warned.  _

_ Her ex just continued to smile, his hand never leaving her thigh.  _

_ “You’re here with Logan.” It wasn’t a question. He must have heard about Logan’s declaration. Clearly he wasn’t happy.  _

_ “We’re friends, Duncan,” Veronica replied. She held her voice even, refusing to let him know how uncomfortable he was making her.  _

_ “Mmm,” was all he said. He had lessened his grip on her leg, and his thumb began to graze the inside of her thigh. If she hadn’t felt uncomfortable before, she did now. Her body involuntarily stiffened at the unwanted touch, and Duncan took notice. “Relax, babe,” he smiled, “We’re just talking.”  _

_ “I don’t want to talk, Duncan,” Veronica told him with a low voice. She tried to stand again, but his grip tightened once again.  _

_ “Why him, Veronica?” Though his question wasn’t specific, Veronica heard the accusation behind it. He was assuming she was involved with Logan in a more intimate way than they actually were.  _

_ So instead of answering his question, she repeated her past explanation, “We’re just friends. Nothing else.”  _

_ She watched as Duncan contemplated her words. She saw the exact moment he decided not to believe her. A frown replaced his smile and he released her leg. Patting it he whispered into her ear, his hot breath sending a wave a nausea as he spoke, “We’ll talk about this later, babe.”  _

_ And with that he stood and disappeared into the crowd of their drunken peers.  _

_ The unease Duncan had left behind didn’t lift, even when Logan found her. He was noticeably intoxicated. His eyes shone from the alcohol and the adoring way he looked at her were evidence of that fact.  _

_ “Hey,” he greeted. He reached for her and she gave him her hands to pull her off the couch.  _

_ “Hi,” she replied quietly. Veronica tried to focus on her friend in front of her, but Duncan’s words and touch were still occupying her thoughts.  _

_ Logan pulled her into him. She let him and let out the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.  _

_ Logan must have noticed her discomfort because he pulled away and studied her with a serious look. “Something wrong?” _

_ She shook her head, not wanting to bring up Duncan around him, and replied, “Nope,” with a shrug. Her answer didn’t seem to satisfy him, but he didn’t push the subject any further. Instead he motioned toward the stairs.  _

_ “Hey, a couple of us were going to head up… There’s… uh… stuff up there…” He didn’t need to explain himself. Veronica knew exactly what “stuff” he was referring to.  _

_ Drugs.  _

_ A knot formed in the pit of her stomach as she tried to understand why Logan had to always resort to getting high and wasted. She had tried in the past to tell him she was always there for him— that his coping mechanism wasn’t healthy, but he’d always laughed her off. He was good at playing cool when she knew he was falling apart.  _

_ “Is your dad home?” she whispered so only he could hear her. She watched as his face turned to stone. His brows knit together and he clenched his jaw.  _

_ “Veronica, don’t fucking make this something it’s not,” he warned. His voice was laced with anger, and the boy she knew and cared about disappeared.  _

_ He pushed past her and didn’t even turn back to speak to her before he jogged up the stairs, leaving her alone in a house full of people who hated her.  _

_ Fuck him. She wasn’t going to sit around and wait for his stupid ass to come back to her strung out and sorry.  _

_ Turning she spotted the source of the alcohol. Some liquid courage and maybe she could find herself talking to a cute boy. She wracked her brain, trying to think of anyone at school she’d be remotely interested in talking to. Casey? Maybe. He was cute and had never said a mean thing to her.  _

_ When she made her way to the kitchen island she stared at her choices. She wasn’t a drinker. Her mother had ruined any desire to drink, but tonight she was going to venture out of her comfort zone.  _

_ “Want a rum and coke?” asked a voice from behind her. She twisted her head to see a girl smiling behind her.  _

_ Lilly.  _

_ “Oh… I don’t know…” _

_ Lilly looked contemplative before she squinted at Veronica and said, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you at a party, V.”  _

_ “That’s because I don’t come to them,” Veronica muttered, turning her attention back to the lined bottles of alcohol.  _

_ “Rum and coke,” Lilly said, ignoring her answer, “Let me make it for you. Something tells me you need my help.”  _

_ Veronica knew she was trying to be nice, but something about Lilly’s words made Veronica bristle. She hated being the loser who didn’t know what the hell she was doing. Sure, she wasn’t as innocent as some people thought she was— well had thought before Duncan decided to make the world think she was a whore— but she was still pretty inexperienced compared to most of her classmates.  _

_ She decided to just let Lilly do her thing. She’d learned it was no use arguing when it came to the pretty blonde. She did what she wanted when she wanted regardless of what you thought. Stepping aside, she watched as Lilly grabbed a bottle and poured the liquid into the red plastic cup in front of Veronica.  _

_ “Can you grab the coke from the fridge?” she asked Veronica with a smile. Veronica complied, and when she returned with the cold red can, she watched Lilly pour it into the cup before handing it over.  _

_ “It’s a pretty good starting drink,” Lilly shrugged. “And,” she added, “it beats beer. I fucking hate that shit.” She pretended to shutter, and Veronica couldn’t help but smile.  _

_ Veronica had spent a decent amount of time around Lilly when she dated her brother, but most of the time Lilly had been more preoccupied with Logan. She’d smiled and casually started conversations with Veronica, but they’d never really clicked as friends. Now, as they stood drinking the concoctions Lilly had made, Veronica wondered if perhaps she had any blame for that. Maybe she’d judged Lilly and hadn’t really given her a chance.  _

_ As the night went on, Lilly and Veronica had been joined by several classmates. Veronica was handed drinks as soon as she had taken her last sips. She wasn’t even sure who was making them anymore. Warning bells sounded in her drunken mind, but they were dull and she chose to ignore them and her common sense. For once she just wanted to be a normal high school girl at a normal high school party.  _

_ She should have known Neptune was anything but normal.  _

_ “Jesus, girl, slow down or I’ll have to carry you home,” Lilly laughed as Veronica downed another drink. Veronica smiled and shrugged.  _

_ “I’m just a little drunk,” she giggled, using her index and thumb to indicate how “little” drunk she was.  _

_ “Uh-huh,” Lilly grinned back. “Wannabe” blasted through the speakers and Lilly jumped up almost knocking Veronica off of the stool she was sitting on. “Oh. My. Gaaawwwwd!” Lilly screamed. She turned to Veronica and grabbed her hand, “Come dance with me, bitch!”  _

_ Veronica couldn’t argue, so she allowed her new friend to pull her into the crowd of dancing teens. Lilly placed her hands on Veronica’s hips and began grinding on her. Giggling, Veronica tried to keep up, but she was too drunk to remember how to dance. When she finally got the groove of the song she found her eyes wandering to the staircase Logan had disappeared to.  _

_ Had he ever come back down? What if he was sick? What if he needed her? _

_ Veronica pulled away from Lilly’s embrace and turned to face her.  _

_ “I need to check on Lo— something,” she informed Lilly who waved her off.  _

_ “Just come back and find me when you’re done, babe!”  _

_ Veronica promised she would and made her way to the stairs. Once she reached the bottom of the staircase she looked up into the darkness that they led to. Something in her gut told her to stay— to go back to her new friend and keep dancing, but she ignored it and started to climb.  _

_ The upstairs was eerily quiet, only the faint thud of the music downstairs could be heard. Well, that and her racing heart. She was almost sure if anyone was around they’d be able to her hear heart beating violently against her chest. But with alcohol coursing through her veins she continued down the black hallway. Maybe Logan was in one of the rooms.  _

_ Pushing the first door open she realized it was a bathroom. An empty bathroom with no sign of her best  friend.  _

_ Shit. Best friend? Was Logan really her best friend? Her drunk mind couldn’t analyze that, so she headed to the second closed door. This time she found herself in a bedroom. It must have been a guest room because the sheets were a god-awful floral design and it felt very untouched. The bed, though ugly, looked soft and inviting, and Veronica made her way to it. She needed to lay down, just for a moment.  _

_ The room had begun to spin, and she needed to sleep. She hadn’t ever been this drunk before, but as her eyesight began to blur she began to panic. Her muddled thoughts didn’t make sense, and she realized she couldn’t move her limbs. Something was wrong.  _

I just need to sleep, _ she thought tiredly.  _ Maybe if I sleep I’ll feel better...

_ As soon as she closed her eyes, she heard the soft click of the door closing. It took a moment for her to realize someone must be in the room with her, and by the time she was able to lift her heavy head off of the pillow the person had turned off the light.  _

_ “Someone’s here,” she heard herself say, voice wavering and slightly slurring. She wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it all. The person had to have seen her on the bed right? But the person didn’t reply. Instead the bed dipped beside her as the person slipped beside her.  _

_ Alarm bells rang and she tried to sit up, but when she did the world began to spin again. Her limbs were heavy and her attempt to leave was futile.  _

_ “Shh…” the person whispered. Their lips close to her ear.  _

_ “You need to go…” Veronica tried to warn, but she felt the person’s cold hands on her shoulders, toying with the straps of her dress.  _

No,  _ she thought to herself.  _ This isn’t happening. 

_ But it was. She attempted to push the person off of her, but they just pressed her shoulders harder against the bed.  _

_ “I need to go,” she told them, heart racing. But they didn’t respond. They pulled the straps down and she felt hot tears spring to her eyes.  _

_ They were going to hurt her.  _

_ “Please,” she begged, attempting to move again. “Please let me go,” she tried.  _

_ “Baby, relax. We talked about this remember?”  _

_ It was a man’s voice. And it was familiar. Though her heart continued to pound uncontrollably, she relaxed slightly as she tried to place the voice. But her drunk mind couldn’t figure out who it was or what they meant by ‘we talked about this.’  _

_ “We did?” She asked through her drunken stupor.  _

_ Lips touched her throat and the man covered her body with his.  _

_ “Mmm, yeah,” he replied between kisses.  _

_ Maybe she _ had _ talked about this with someone. Maybe she had agreed to meeting someone up here. Now that time had passed she couldn’t even remember why she’d gone upstairs in the first place. But regardless, she didn’t want this  _ now. 

_ “I changed my mind,” she told him as she tried pushing him off of her.  _

_ What sounded like a growl erupted from the man and she felt his rough hands yanking her dress up.  _

No,  _ she begged internally.  _ Please stop. 

_ But words wouldn’t leave her mouth. She felt his hands searching for her underwear and she began to fight when she realized what he was going to do.  _

_ “No!” she screeched as he tore her underwater down her legs.  _

_ “You always change your damn mind, Veronica.”  _

_ It all came crashing at once. She knew that voice. She knew who was on top of her.  _

_ “Duncan,” she cried. “Please…”  _

_ But he ignored her pleas and continued pulling her underwear off of her body. She tried kicking and pushing but everything was stiff and heavy. That and her head was spinning. She couldn’t get him off of her. She closed her eyes as tears spilled down her cheeks.  _

_ How has she dated him? How has she missed what a monster he was?  _

_ “Duncan, don’t do this.”  _

_ “Trust me, baby. You’ll be happy once we’re done. I promise.”  _

_ He was crazy.  _

_ The more she tried to fight, the harder he held onto her.  _

_ Her stomach coiled when she felt his fingers touch her center. She was going to throw up. And in that moment she prayed she would. Maybe he’d leave her alone.  _

_ But as much as she prayed to get sick, she didn’t. And his hands continued to touch her and hurt her.  _

_ “Damn, baby. You’re so wet for me.”  _

_ She was? She didn’t want to be. But as he continued to rub and touch her she knew he was right. Her body was betraying her. Tears continued to fall and she cursed her damn body.  _

This isn’t happening. Please don’t let this be happening,  _ she prayed.  _

_ But nobody was listening.  _

_ Finally his hands left her, but it was only a temporary relief because she heard the zipper of his pants and moments later she felt him cover her body again.  _

_ “Please,” she whimpered at another attempt to make him leave her alone.  _

_ “I know. I know you want me, baby.”  _

_ He was delusional. And he wasn’t going to stop. Veronica tried to focus on the ceiling. She tried to think about something else. She wasn’t here. This wasn’t happening.  _

_ She thought about a time when Logan had snuck into her room. They’d talked about their plans for college and the future. He’d held her hand as they laid on her bed.  _

_ Pain between her legs tore her from her happy thoughts and forced her back into the nightmare that was currently her reality.  _

No,  _ she thought,  _ take me back to Logan. Think about Logan. 

_ She tried to remember the way he’d laughed when she’d joked about joining a circus.  _

More pain. More tears _.  _

_ She stared at the ceiling, body still. Waiting for it to end. Refusing to acknowledge what ‘it’ was.  _

_ After what seemed like an eternity, she felt Duncan’s body roll off of her with a grunt.  _

_ “Thanks, Veronica. I needed that.”  _

_ She didn’t respond. Hell, she didn’t even breathe.  _

_ She heard him zip his pants up and finally the door opened. Light spilled into the dark room, sending shadows dancing across the ceiling she was still watching.  _

_ She waited for the door to close. It never did, but she didn’t dare look down from the ceiling. She didn’t want to see him staring at her. _

_ When she was convinced he was gone she turned to her side.  _

_ Empty. That’s how she felt. And sick.  _

_ And dirty.  _

_ The sound of music from the party was the last thing she remembered before she shut her eyes and prayed that she didn’t wake up.  _

 

* * *

 

 

Logan felt  hundred pounds lighter as he made his way through his yard and toward the guest house that The Mars family had called home for the past decade. Nothing was quite fixed. His mother was still gone, Veronica was still practically a stranger, and his dad was still out there somewhere thinking he was invincible. But the news that his mom was in fact alive, was enough to turn a bad day into a slightly less shitty one. 

The news of his mother wasn’t the only thing that had him whistling as he headed toward the Mars’ small cottage while he thought about Lilly’s visit.

Lilly had a way of showing up at the most unexpected and inconvenient of times. Earlier that day, when he had told his dad’s butler (yes, they’d had maids and other staff running around that huge house for as long as Logan could remember) to let in a pretty blonde, he’d thought Veronica would be the smiling face greeting him. Instead, Lilly has sauntered her way into his dad’s office like it hadn’t been over a year since they’d seen each other. To say he was disappointed was putting it lightly. Sure. He’d admit the little number she’d been wearing had his dick saluting her appreciatively, but he was a straight male. Lilly was just as attractive as she had been when they’d first started dating all those years ago. He couldn’t help the way his body reacted. But while his dick hadn’t gotten the memo, his heart must have because it had dropped like a bag of rocks when he realized Veronica wasn’t his guest. 

And Lord help him, he didn’t have time to assess that reaction. 

While he was annoyed she wasn’t Veronica, he knew she must have something he wanted, or vise versa. The only time they met up since their last breakup three years ago was within that nature. So his interest was piqued. 

Lilly had proceeded to inform him she had brought something for him. When he had inquired what his gift was, she had told him it was an invite to Shelly’s beach bash. Shelly Pomroy— now Shelly Winters— was a Neptune socialite who’d had enough Botox and lip fillers pumped into her to kill a small army. She had married an older (much, much older) Harry Winters who came from old money. They owned a beachfront home, and it wasn’t uncommon for them to throw huge parties (to flaunt their assets, no doubt) on the beach. Logan had always declined, though Shelly had relentlessly invited him. 

But he was going this time thanks to a little news from Lilly. 

Duncan Kane, fuckwit extraordinaire, was going to finally come face-to-face with one of his (undoubtedly) many skeletons in his closet. He thought he had been able to keep it buried. Hell, maybe he’d even thought he had made up for his sin against Veronica in the form of all the bullshit charity events he hosted and partook in. 

But he  _ hadn’t  _ atoned for his sins. 

Not. Even. Close. 

After Logan had found out what had happened to Veronica while she was Shelly’s party, he had confronted his then-best-friend about it. The asshole had enough balls to shrug it off and laugh. Fucking laugh. Then Duncan had nonchalantly asked Logan what he thought he could do about it. Logan had shown him exactly what he’d do about it in the way of his fists getting well acquainted with Duncan’s pretty boy face. 

Logan had tried to convince Veronica to go to the cops, but she’d refused, and it wasn’t his place to make the report. When Logan had gone to The Kanes—because fuck if he was just going to sit around twiddling his thumbs—they’d informed him they had friends in high places and such threats to their son (and their name) wouldn’t be taken lightly. 

So Duncan, the golden boy of Neptune, had gotten away with assault. He’d gone and had a decent life while ruining the life of the one person Logan had loved more than anyone aside from his mother. 

But Logan had patiently waited for his chance to finally do something, anything. 

How ironic it would be at the very person’s party that Duncan had chosen to take a piece of Veronica that Logan would be permanently changing Duncan’s good guy persona. 

If Duncan had thought that time healed all wounds, he was about to find out how wrong he was. 

Oh, he’d fucking pay. 

Duncan was playing a dangerous game of roulette. He’d made it out alive thus far, but not anymore. 

He was going to bite the bullet.

And Veronica would be there to pull the metaphorical trigger. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to Bondopoulos for beta reading and editing. You're my hero.
> 
> PS: Thank you all for being so patient. I'm so sorry for the long wait. Holidays were insane.


End file.
